DriGuy

This book about alcoholism written by two medical professionals in 1980. It may be the first attempt at explaining the the dynamics behind the "disease" from a scientific perspective, and it does a very good job at explaining the cellular changes in the our bodies cause by alcohol, and the chemical changes that cause the distress that leads us to that second, third, and fourth drink.

I read it 25 years ago, and I'm reading it again, currently about 3/4 of the way through. It's better than I remembered the second time around. One of the things that impresses me is how well the authors blow apart the myth that alcoholism is a character defect, a myth that still pervades society, treatment programs, and the medical profession even today. They go so far as to say that counseling and therapy is mostly a waste of time, which I want to take issue with, but that's probably because I value self understanding. As the authors write, "Therapy can become a distraction from the problem."

But let's put that in context. I believe that therapy can lead to a highly satisfying life, but also that quitting is an activity that lies outside of self understanding. Quitting is a "grab the bull by the horns, and taking care of business" activity that gets the actual job done. Neither quitting or self understanding should be discarded (IMO), but we shouldn't confuse the two and fabricate some cause and effect that isn't really there. Both can be done at the same time.

Anna

I read that book a long time ago, too, Driguy. I often find I get more out of a great book the second time I read it.

advbike

This is so true and thanks for posting it DG. Until you remove the addictive substance, no progress can be made on all the other issues, in my experience. In fact as long as I was having a few nightly drinks I didn't even realize I had other problems, because I had an emotional crutch to lean on and smooth out all the bumps. Until it didn't. But take that away and soon all becomes clear. Oh my - is my codependency that bad? And where did this OCD come from, lol. Only in sobriety can we begin to feel the pain of, and address those underlying issues, and that's when therapy helps.

DriGuy

When I read it before, I was still drinking, although I was within a week of quitting. So the first time, everything I read was maybe a bit harder to digest. Now, knowing how alcoholism affected me, the book verifies my personal experience. Even the myths about alcoholism that are still prevalent, controversial, and hotly debated, which he debunks, are things I realized while finding my own way.

Robbie64

It looks like an interesting book. I'd not heard of it until I read this thread. I see it's available to buy from amazon at a very reasonable price plus there's an extensive "look inside" preview. I might buy it.

Alpine

I may have to look into this book. Thanks for sharing.

Dee74

There is also a sequel of sorts called Beyond the Influence

Beyond the Influence: Understanding and Defeating Alcoholism
by Katherine Ketcham , William F Asbury , Mel Schulstad andArthur P Ciaramicoli, Authors

Scott2295

There is also a new edition of Under the Influence. I just bought the Kindle version.

advbike

It's a great book. Highly recommended.

I still have it in my Kindle archive, so Amazon wouldn't let me buy the new, updated version, lol.